NEW DELHI: A Spanish court has handed down prison sentences to a trio of Valencia supporters for their involvement in racist abuse directed at Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.
The court's announcement revealed that the three individuals were given eight-month jail terms for committing hate crimes against the player. This landmark ruling marks the first time in Spain that anyone has been convicted for hurling racist insults within a football stadium.
"The ruling handed down today, which is final, establishes as proven that the three defendants insulted Vinicius with shouts, gestures and chants referring to the colour of his skin," the court said in a statement.
"These shouts and gestures of a racist nature, consisting among other things in the repetition of the sounds and imitating the movements of monkeys, caused the footballer feelings of frustration, shame and humiliation, with the consequent undermining of his intrinsic dignity."
In Spain, individuals who are convicted of non-violent offences and receive prison sentences shorter than two years are unlikely to serve time behind bars, provided they have no prior convictions.
As a result, the trio is expected to remain out of custody unless they engage in additional criminal activities.
The supporters, having admitted to the offences, were handed a two-year ban from attending football matches and were also required to cover the expenses associated with the legal proceedings.
"This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain as it repairs the damage suffered by Vinicius Jr and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to insult that LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them," LaLiga president Javier Tebas said.
In May previous year, a league match at Valencia's Mestalla stadium was marred by a disturbing incident. Vinicius, a Black Brazilian forward, was subjected to racist slurs throughout the game. The abhorrent behavior displayed by some individuals in the crowd was deeply troubling and unacceptable.
The incident sparked a wave of support for Vinicius from various quarters. People from all walks of life came together to condemn the racist abuse and stand in solidarity with the young player. The outpouring of support was a testament to the collective desire to combat racism and promote equality in sports and society as a whole.
"During the hearing, the defendants read a letter of apology to Vinicius Jr, LaLiga and Real Madrid," LaLiga said in a statement on Monday.
Real Madrid said the defendants had shown repentance and, in their letter, had "asked fans that all traces of racism and intolerance should be banished from sporting competitions."
"Real Madrid, which together with Vinicius Jr has acted as private prosecutor in these proceedings, will continue to work to protect the values of our club and to eradicate any racist behaviour in the world of football and sport," the club added in a statement.
Vinicius, at the age of 23, played a crucial role in Real Madrid's successful campaign, securing both the LaLiga title and the Champions League trophy. His outstanding performance earned him the prestigious title of Champions League's player of the season.
Additionally, he is considered a top contender for the Ballon d'Or award, which recognizes the world's best player and will be presented in October.
Over the course of the last two seasons, LaLiga has reported a total of sixteen instances of racist abuse directed towards Vinicius to Spanish prosecutors.
"In March, Vinicius broke down in tears at a press conference and said he was struggling to stay motivated and enjoy playing football due to the recurring abuse, urging Spanish authorities to take action."
"People should know that this type of act is punishable, punishable as a hate crime, because the conviction is for crimes against moral integrity but with the aggravating circumstance of hatred," state prosecutor Susana Gisbert told reporters.
In a recent incident, German Burgos, an analyst for the Spanish television network Movistar Plus+, was dismissed from his position. This decision came after both Barcelona and Paris St Germain declined to provide interviews to the network, following a remark made by Burgos about Lamine Yamal, a Barcelona player. The comment was perceived as racist in nature.
During the same month, LaLiga took action against Atletico Madrid and Getafe, mandating partial closures of their stadiums. This disciplinary measure was in response to incidents of racist and xenophobic abuse that occurred during a match between the two teams.
Additionally, a third-division encounter between Rayo Majadahonda and Sestao River was halted when Cheikh Kane Sarr, the Senegalese goalkeeper for Rayo, confronted an opposing fan who he accused of subjecting him to racial abuse.
(With Reuters inputs)
